Rookie and Hendersonville native Josef Newgarden blistered the Indianapolis Speedway for the fastest time on Tuesday at the third practice for the Indianapolis 500 on May 27.

His time of 40.4519 seconds, or 222.486 miles per hour, was the fastest lap time this month on the 2.5-mile track. It marked the second time in three days the 21-year-old has had the fastest lap.

“It’s another strong day,” Newgarden told reporters afterwards. “We’re stepping through it each time and we have a lot more to go still. Our good start is continuing to roll forward. So we’re feeling positive. The team is good. No issues on the team. It’s Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing. They’ve got a good group. We’ve obviously got a good car. We’ve come out really strong as well. Really we just need to maintain that.”

Newgarden ranks 22nd in the IndyCar Series standings with 54 points. He finished half of his first four races, placing as high as 11th.